[squirrel] mother and [squirrel] child reunion

May 1, 2018 9:21 AM

After a baby squirrel fell down their chimney, a Vancouver couple reunited it with its mother by putting it in their backyard and playing baby squirrel sounds from a YouTube video to attract her. "It was amazing. Within less than a minute of playing this sound, we saw this squirrel dashing across the neighbours' yard. Like on a mission," Woo said. "We were both crying because we didn't know the mum would come, and come so quickly." She swung by, looked over the baby and then scooped it up. They both scurried off together. "I'm not sure we'll see them again but it was an amazing reunion," Woo said. "I was bawling my eyes out because it was so beautiful." CBC has a link to the video of the [squirrel] mother and [squirrel] child reunion.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl (20 comments total)

Awww!
posted by Alensin at 9:28 AM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

No I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and squirrel reunion
Is only a YouTube away
posted by happyroach at 9:28 AM on May 1, 2018 [27 favorites]

I just googled "squirrels carrying babies" because I was trying to figure out how that mama squirrel was picking up the baby, and I found these photos, which are also adorable:

Photos of mother squirrel moving her babies are both endearing and empowering
posted by lazuli at 9:34 AM on May 1, 2018 [17 favorites]

(I've asked the mods to add a non-Facebook video link in the post, as well--when I first drafted the post, the CBC had an embedded video.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:38 AM on May 1, 2018

Say what you will about modern Internet culture, but how cool is it that when a human couple realizes that they need to play baby squirrel sounds ASAP to save a life, they can find them within a 30-second YouTube search?
posted by lisa g at 9:44 AM on May 1, 2018 [42 favorites]

So cute. Willing to overlook the Amway box!
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 9:48 AM on May 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

The squirrelbabs in the "moving house" photos are so big relative to their mum. Like picking up a twelve-year-old and bodily carrying them to the new house.
posted by inconstant at 10:06 AM on May 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

That non-Facebook link isn't the same as the CBC's.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:07 AM on May 1, 2018

I_L_B, you will laugh, but I actually googled the couple to see if either had connections to Amway before deciding to post. (I didn't find any--I'm hoping they chose the box from their communal cardboard recycling bin because it was the right size and shape.)

Argh, thanks Johnny Wallflower. I will get the mods to remove it. Sigh.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:10 AM on May 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

Mod note: Edited the post; let me know what you wanted, if that's not what you had in mind.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:18 AM on May 1, 2018

Yeah this is a synthetic Siri-esque robot lady voice describing still shots from a video that MIGHT be heartwarming, but is actually kind of creepy when presented this way
posted by daisystomper at 10:23 AM on May 1, 2018

The current link to a video is a weird robot voice playing over still images of a squirrel and some white men giving business presentations? So that seems wrong.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:27 AM on May 1, 2018

It seems like the CBC still has an embedded video -- does that not work for people?
posted by lazuli at 10:32 AM on May 1, 2018

Mod note: I've replaced the youtube link with the CBC link lazuli posted -- again let me know if you want something different, OP.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:36 AM on May 1, 2018

SQUIRREL!
posted by dazed_one at 12:11 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

That is great, thank you LobsterMitten--sorry everyone for the weird non related video!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:23 PM on May 1, 2018

Awww, these are some really excellent people.
posted by lunasol at 12:36 PM on May 1, 2018

So the squirrel video was interesting but that Facebook video is the real gem. People (or robots) on the internet are weird.
posted by LizBoBiz at 1:16 PM on May 1, 2018

So... Did the mother squirrel just put the baby back in the nest, which is still in the chimney?
posted by Sys Rq at 7:23 PM on May 1, 2018

I don't think the nest was actually in the chimney, just in a nearby tree...I think the baby squirrel somehow got away from the nest and then fell down the chimney.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:10 AM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]